Lakewood Fall 2024

A total of 131 competitors gathered at Harrison Preparatory Academy on November 16, 2024, proving that sustained control across full rounds matters far more than an isolated burst of speed. The single-day WCA competition brought five official disciplines to Lakewood, Washington, USA, demanding composure across 10 rounds of high-pressure solving. While rapid individual attempts naturally drew attention, the final results across every table showed that the title winners relied on steady, repeatable execution rather than sheer fortune.

Nowhere was that composure clearer than in the main Rubik's Cube event. Across three rounds featuring 129 entrants, the 3x3 results came down to microscopic differences during the five-solve final. Jack Desloge captured the victory with a 7.59 winning average, holding off Michael Lee, who finished mere fractions behind at 7.61. Harrison Michael Oberg completed the podium in third with an average of 7.94. Although a 6.24 best single emerged from the event, Desloge secured the championship through relentless consistency over every turn.

The drama reached a similar peak in the Pyraminx final, where the narrowest margin of the tournament decided the champion. Tripp Peters took first place with a 2.84 average, eclipsing Ash Chen, who secured second with a 2.85 average. Ash Black locked down third place with a 3.12 mark. Peters also delivered a best single of 1.90 during the two rounds, but it was his ability to keep every solve near the three-second barrier that earned him the trophy at Lakewood Fall 2024.

Ash Black made an even louder statement in Skewb, establishing unmatched dominance across two rounds of play. Black took the win with a 1.91 winning average and logged the best single of the event at 1.50. Vikram Haldar claimed second place with a 3.57 average, and Eli Kirk finished third with 3.62. Black's mastery of the puzzle provided a masterclass in clean turning, avoiding the mechanical lockups that often undermine aggressive speedcubing runs.

The larger puzzles rewarded patience and deep stamina throughout the afternoon. Jack Anderson prevailed in the 5x5x5 Cube, recording a winning average of 59.27 alongside a 56.38 single to lead the 53-person field. Vikram Haldar placed second with a 1:00.27 average, and Ash Black earned another podium appearance in third at 1:02.14. In Megaminx, Ethan Davis captured the title with a 34.51 average and a 32.65 single, finishing ahead of Nico Harper at 37.31 and Cindy Zhang at 46.37.

Beyond the championship finals, the true spirit of the cubing competition appeared across the preliminary rounds, where emerging competitors recorded massive leaps in personal execution. Noah Verrett dropped their 3x3x3 Cube personal best to 13.59, an improvement of 50.9 percent over their previous 27.70 mark, while also completing a first ever attempt at Skewb in 11.93 and 5x5x5 Cube in 4:53.88. Lilienne Sam took on three events and slashed their personal record on the standard puzzle to 11.35, outperforming their former best of 21.97 by 48.3 percent, alongside a debut Pyraminx solve of 10.10. Ashley Anderson contested five events, establishing a 4.69 Pyraminx personal best that was 39.0 percent faster than before and logging a 4.35 Skewb personal best, 37.2 percent faster, while placing 13th in Skewb.

The tournament floor also saw Anthony Lee register a 7.26 Pyraminx personal best, a 35.9 percent cut from 11.33, while posting a first ever attempt at 5x5x5 Cube of 3:39.76. Shopnil Aydin notched a 10.49 on the three-by-three cube, 31.9 percent faster than their past 15.40 mark, alongside an 8.20 Pyraminx debut. Leo Lee tackled five events, achieving a 26th-place finish in 5x5x5 Cube with a debut of 1:36.97 and dropping their Skewb best by 29.5 percent to 7.44. Alex Chen recorded a debut 2:45.36 in Megaminx and improved their classic cube mark by 19.7 percent to 16.86. Eden Choi completed four events, finishing 41st in 5x5x5 Cube with a debut 2:13.52 and lowering their personal standard on 3x3 to 16.70, which was 18.1 percent faster.

As the day of speed cubing concluded, the combined results reflected a balanced gathering of international and regional talent, with competitors representing the USA taking 14 podium places and Canada earning one. Lakewood Fall 2024 demonstrated that whether a solver is chasing a sub-eight average in the finals or trying a dodecahedron puzzle for the first time, careful pacing and steady nerves remain the essential tools of the trade.